


Scout and the Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad, No Good Force Time-Travel Trip

by mylastbraincell



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crack Taken Seriously, Everyone Has Trauma (TM), F/M, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu Has A Headache, No beta we fall like Anakin, Obi-Wan Needs a Break, Palpatine Is Not A Pal, Scout is a little shit, That's Not How The Force Works, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25787158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylastbraincell/pseuds/mylastbraincell
Summary: Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy, more commonly known as Scout, is pretty sure she's cursed. And recent events have definitely not been proving her wrong.But she's going to make the best of it! After all, it's not every day you get to go back in time and prevent the most powerful Force user in the galaxy from killing all your friends. Even if said Force user is a chaotic, disastrous, emotionally-stunted man-child.Oh Force, Scout did NOT sign up for this.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Tallisibeth "Scout" Enwandung-Esterhazy & Anakin Skywalker, Tallisibeth "Scout" Enwandung-Esterhazy & Mace Windu, Tallisibeth "Scout" Enwandung-Esterhazy & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 18
Kudos: 38





	1. Prologue: In Which Scout Has A One-Sided Conversation With A Dead Person

**Author's Note:**

> Yo, so I decided to write a thing, I hope y'all like it! By the way, Scout is an actual character in the Star Wars universe, but you don't need to know about her or much about the Clone Wars to read this fic. Also, I'm not super knowledgeable about all this stuff either, and there will be significant canon divergence, so please be nice to me lol.

Scout couldn’t fall asleep.  
That wasn't uncommon. Scout had had trouble sleeping for years, even before _running terror chaos death_. Only now, instead of battlefields and dead Masters, she saw clones and blue lightsabers behind her closed eyelids.  
Scout took a deep, shuddering breath and sat up. This was going to be one of the bad nights, she was sure of it. It was too still and silent, no noise to drown out the ones in her head.   
She stood and picked up her vibrosword, sparing a single glance to where her lightsaber hilt sat hidden behind her desk. Scout hadn’t ignited it, not since _death horror fleeing pain_. _Someday_ , she would tell herself, when she felt guilty about letting it rot in a box on the floor, _but not today_.  
_Never today_.  
The vibrosword’s hum was near silent as Scout swung it smoothly through the katas. She was lucky to have it, with its rare cortosis weave. It had been a gift from Mij, along with a grim assurance that if she ever decided that vengeance mattered more than the Jedi way, he’d be there. It was a nice sentiment, even if she probably wouldn’t take him up on it.  
Probably.  
Scout released that familiar temptation to the Force as her limbs moved through the familiar forms of the katas. If she went after Sky- _Vader_ , she would die. Just as everyone else had. The best thing she could do for those who were lost was carry on the Jedi legacy.  
Scout almost laughed out loud at the irony. She, one of the weakest in the Force, the useless Jedi who relied on tricks and a lightsaber, was one of the few to carry on that legacy. The Force had always had a sense of humor, her first Master liked to say.  
At the thought of her first Master, Scout’s balance faltered, and her blade drooped. A wave of grief brought her to her knees. Back when it was all happening, Scout hadn’t had time for grief. Mourning had had to wait until the war was over, until her work was done, until she'd secured her place as a Jedi Knight. Scout almost wished she had been sent to the Corps instead of continuing on as a Padawan, except then she would probably be dead. And despite it all, Scout wanted to live.  
_Is that what you want?_  
Scout’s head shot up, and she tightened her grip on the vibrosword.  
“Who’s there?” she demanded.  
The room was empty.  
_If you had the chance, to change it all, would you?_  
The voice was familiar, and Scout frowned.  
“Who are you?”  
_Change it if you will, my Padawan,_ the voice whispered, and Scout gasped as she recognized it.  
“Master Maruk?”  
Distantly, Scout noticed the Force doing something weird. She didn’t care. She had never been able to rely on the Force anyway, never expected anything but the Corps until Master Kim and Master Maruk had given her a chance to become something more.  
“Master Maruk, are you there?”  
The Force was starting to swirl around her, light and dark and something strangely in-between. It sped up, becoming a vortex of pure Force around her, closing in. Scout bit back a scream.  
_I will not leave you_ , Master Maruk whispered.  
Then the Force converged on Scout, and everything went blank.


	2. In Which Scout Has No Idea What Is Going On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scout was pretty sure that she was cursed. She didn’t know why exactly anyone would curse her, but the fact was that she had extraordinarily bad luck and it didn’t seem to show any signs of abating.  
> Take, for instance, her first Master. Dead before they could go on a single mission. Her second Master hadn’t even wanted her, had taken her on as part of a bet because she’d won that stupid Padawan tournament. (Well, actually, she’d been rather proud of that). He had died on their first mission. And then betrayal screaming hiding gone happened and even though Scout survived everyone she knew was dead.  
> And now this.  
> Scout had never been particularly gifted with the Force, but she was pretty damn sure that this was not how it was supposed to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't sure if I was going to continue this, but a couple people liked it, so might as well lol

Scout had never been particularly gifted with the Force, but she was pretty damn sure that this was _not_ how it was supposed to work. Because hovering over her, a hand on her shoulder, was a boy who was supposed to be dead.

“Whie,” Scout breathed. “Are you…Are we dead?”

Whie looked politely concerned, which wasn’t fair in Scout’s book, because Whie was the one who had been killed by a rogue Jedi.  “No…Are you alright? You passed out while we were sparring.”

“ _Sparring?”_

Whie looked even more concerned.  “Scout, do you need to go to the medbay?”

Scout frowned and sat up.

“I’m...” Her voice trailed off as she realized where she was.

Scout knew this room. She knew the initiates (still initiates!) sparring around her, and the Masters who watched. In a matter of years, they would all be dead.

Either Scout had managed to stab herself with her vibrosword, or she was somehow years in the past.

Fear, visceral and almost tangible, rose within her, and Scout tried her best to release it to the Force as she stood shakily. She tried her best to smile reassuringly at Whie.

“Actually, I think I might go to the medbay after all,” she said.

The hall was worse than the training room. She had run through this hall, that night of _shouting footsteps bodies death_. When she blinked, she could see charred bodies of Masters and Padawans alike sprawled on the floor, could hear blasters and familiar voices shouting. Scout picked up her pace, trying to shove down the _thing_ inside her that was rising to the surface. She didn’t know where she was going, only that if she stopped moving, she could very possibly lose her mind.

Scout followed the same path she’d taken years ago (years from now?) through the halls, dodging around corners at any hint of movement. They would find her. They would kill her. Her legs moved faster and faster until she was running, and now she knew they could see her but it didn’t matter because it was better to die running than to die hiding and she braced herself for the inevitable pain of a blaster bolt in the back and—

And Scout stumbled and fell.

That wasn’t right. That wasn’t how it had gone.

She had to get up, but she couldn’t. The hall was spinning. There wasn’t enough air in here, she needed to get out, needed to escape. Scout braced her head between her knees and gasped for air.

A hand settled on Scout’s shoulder, and she flinched violently. The hand withdrew.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,”  a gentle voice said, and Scout peeked out from beneath her arm.

Crouching beside her was a very uncomfortable-looking Padawan. He was familiar, although Scout couldn’t quite place him. Upon seeing her looking at him, he attempted an encouraging smile, then turned and made pleading eyes at the Jedi Knight standing beside him. The Jedi sighed in a long-suffering manner and crouched down as well. 

“What is your name, youngling?” 

Scout was suddenly aware of the snot streaming from her nose. _Why_ couldn’t she handle unexpected time travel with any dignity?

“Scout,” she said, well aware that this wasn’t actually her name but unwilling to go through the whole dance of attempted pronunciations that her full name brought.  The Knight smiled kindly.

“Well, Scout, my name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is my young Padawan Anakin Skywalker.”

Scout recoiled. So _that_ was why the Padawan was familiar, why she had recognized him. He was younger, yes, with blue eyes instead of yellow and lacking the scar, but staring at him now, he was the same man who’d slain her friends (her family) in this very temple.

Distantly, she could hear Skywalker complaining about the usage of the word _young_ when he was an adult, thank you very much, but the high-pitched humming in her head grew until it drowned him out.  Fear rose its head once more, accompanied by something much stronger and darker, the same _thing_ that spread through her veins like poison. 

_Hatred._

She tasted ozone on her tongue as her skin buzzed. Her ears popped. Kenobi seemed to realize that something was wrong, for he put out a hand to touch her arm, only to snatch it back as crackling blue electricity jumped from her arm to his. His eyes widened in a look akin to fear. Skywalker cursed.

_What?_

Taking a deep breath, Scout shoved down the fear and hatred, banishing the darkness deeply within her. 

“Sorry, I’m so sorry, I have no idea how…what that was,” Scout said, hugging her knees close to her chest. She had seen how tempting the dark side was, when Ventress had attempted to turn Whie, but she had never felt it for herself. 

Kenobi smiled at her, although he seemed a bit shaken. Skywalker, meanwhile…she didn’t look at Skywalker.

“Perhaps you should speak to Master Yoda,” he said gently.

Scout nodded numbly. There was only one thought on her mind.

_What is happening to me?_


	3. In Which Yoda Is His Usual Self

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one, I'm still kind of figuring out where I want to take this fic, but I've decided to go with more of a crack-taken-seriously type of vibe. Thanks for reading! :)

Scout was pretty sure that Master Yoda was asleep.

Master Kenobi had spent a good chunk of time talking to Master Yoda alone. Scout and Skywalker had waited out in the hall in a thick awkward silence, keeping a good distance apart and not speaking. Now, Scout thought that Master Kenobi might have somehow bored Master Yoda to sleep, for the small green being had not opened his eyes since Scout had entered.

Scout, a woman of good manners, decided not to wake him.

Without opening his eyes, Master Yoda spoke.

“Strangely the Force acts around you, youngling.”

A strangled snort escaped Scout. _No, really? And here I thought time travel to my younger body was a normal occurrence. Everyday, even._

Master Yoda opened his eyes and blinked at her.

“Something funny, have I said?”

“No, Master Yoda,” Scout mumbled, and inwardly cursed at herself for her childish behavior. Although, considering the fact she looked like a ten-year-old, perhaps it could be forgiven.

“Become stronger in the Force you have, young Enwandung-Esterhazy. Yes,” he continued to her obvious surprise, “know your name I do. Watching you, Master Kim has been, and confusing this is for other Masters. Believe, they do, that best suited for the Corps, you are. Disagree, I did. Bright in potential, you are.”

Scout blinked. This was not new information, although it _was_ surprising that Master Yoda knew her already. She had not thought that she’d warranted that much discussion.

But perhaps it was not that surprising. After all, Scout still held a particular conversation with Master Yoda close to her heart, when he had said something similar to this.

“Touched the dark side, you have,” Yoda said gravely. 

“I didn’t—it wasn’t on purpose!” Scout protested. She tried to push down the fear rising once more inside her. What would happen to her, if the Council decided she was too dangerous? Would they send her to the Corps? Would they dismiss her from the order entirely, or worse, lock her up deep in the belly of the Temple?

Yoda hummed.

“Know this, I do. Changes what happened, it does not.”

Scout hunched her shoulders. _Here it comes._

“Need guidance, you do. A Padawan, you shall become,” Yoda continued. Scout frowned. Had she heard that correctly?

“What?”

“Take you on as a Padawan, Master Windu will. Knows the line between light and dark, he does,” said Yoda, smiling contentedly. 

Scout’s jaw dropped. _Master Windu? But she was—_

“But Master Yoda, I’m not—I mean—I’m not strong in the Force! Will he even want me as a Padawan?”

“Changed in you, the Force has. Learn to grow with it, you must.” Yoda spoke with an air of finality, and Scout swallowed any other arguments she had. 

_Well,_ she thought, _this is going to be interesting._


	4. Interlude: In Which Mace Windu Is Overworked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short interlude from Windu's perspective, because I am firmly of the opinion that this man is overworked  
> Also, I'm really sorry that these chapters have been so short, I promise they'll get longer as I figure out more stuff

Mace Windu had a headache. He rubbed his temples and stifled a sigh as the headache opened its mouth and spoke.

“Felt the disturbance in the Force, you have?” 

Mace nodded. He had, in fact, felt the moment the Force seemed to converge on a point in the Temple, but he had been hoping that for once he would not be involved. Judging by Yoda’s interruption of his meditation, his wish had been in vain.

He really hoped Skywalker wasn’t involved.

“Changed, a youngling has. Worrying, this is, that such an effect, one youngling has.”

Mace allowed himself a slight frown. A youngling? That was odd. _Still_ , he thought with a smidgeon of relief, _at least it isn’t Skywalker_. Force knows that boy had caused enough trouble, and was probably going to be the death of him one day.

“What should we do about the youngling, then?”

“Training, the youngling needs. Touched by death and fear, she has been. A Master who can walk the line between dark and light, she needs.”

_Oh Force_. Mace had an inkling where this was going, and he _really_ hoped he was wrong.

“Master Koon, perhaps? He has always been good with the younglings,” Mace suggested. Yoda hummed thoughtfully.

“Speak to the youngling, you will. Your responsibility, she is,” Yoda said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Mace dipped his head. _There went his plans for an early retirement,_ he thought, and resisted the urge to bury his head in his hands.


	5. In Which Scout Nearly Gives Master Windu An Aneurism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scout has moved firmly to the humor-as-a-coping-mechanism stage of time travel, which definitely exists, because I just said so

Scout thought Master Windu looked like he needed a nap, but she kept her opinion to herself. Somehow, she didn’t think it would be well-received.

In her previous life—as Scout had taken to thinking of it—she hadn’t known Master Windu well, if at all. As such, her impression of him had largely been a looming figure who only spared younglings a look to admonish them when they misbehaved. Later, as Master Maruk's Padawan, she’d gotten a couple closer looks, but they didn’t really contradict the image of a strict, unimpressed Master. In fact, she was pretty sure that Master Windu had been one of the Masters to advocate for her relocation to the Corps after the death of Master Kim.

Scratch that, she _knew_ what Master Windu had thought of her. _Weak_ , he'd said, and it had stung then when she'd worked so hard and it had never been enough. And now, she was supposed to be his Padawan.  Scout tried not to fidget under the Master's critical gaze as she sat across from him in the small meditation room. 

“Enwandung-Esterhazy—” he began, and Scout inwardly cursed herself as she automatically corrected him.

“Scout.”

A vein at Master Windu’s temple started to throb.

“Scout. Are you aware of the changes in your Force signature?”

“Not really,” she said, shrugging uncomfortably. The vein picked up in tempo.

“Has anything odd happened in the past day that could have triggered this change?” Master Windu continued, his voice purposefully even. Scout shrugged again. It wasn’t as if she could say _Nah, you know, just the usual accidental time travel and a conversation with my dead Master who technically isn’t dead or my Master yet. You?_

Master Windu sighed.

“You’re not in trouble, youngling. Master Yoda and I are simply concerned for your wellbeing. We cannot help you if you don’t talk to us.”

For a moment, Scout considered telling him everything. _Let the Masters handle it,_ she thought. _What could I do?_

The Force seemed to _scream_ in protest at the thought. 

Scout attempted an awkward smile.  “I appreciate it, Master, but I’m not really sure what I can say. I was sparring with Whie and passed out, Master Kenobi took me to see Master Yoda, and now I’m here.”

At the mention of Master Kenobi, Master Windu looked somewhat surprised and resigned, which was odd. 

“Why did Master Kenobi take you to see Master Yoda? Do you remember why you passed out?”

Scout was struck by a sudden flash of genius.

“I had a vision,” she said, “when I was sparring with Whie. That must have been why I fell down.”

Master Windu looked unconvinced, although Scout was also pretty sure that was his usual expression.

“A vision,” he said drily. Scout nodded. _Well_ , she thought, _it’s kind of true, from a certain point of view._ Now she just needed to commit to it.

“Yes, although it was rather cloudy,” Scout said. _Yeah, that sounds about right_. “I was in the Temple, and there were a bunch of clo—soldiers in white armor shooting Jedi.” _Force, she’d almost said clones. Were there clones yet? Did the Council know?_

Master Windu frowned. 

“Shooting Jedi?”

Scout wondered if Master Windu was going to repeat everything she said. She decided to move on.

“And there was also a dark figure who was killing Jedi with a lightsaber,” she said. There, that was good. Concise, to the point, without giving away _who_ the Jedi was. She wasn’t sure if anyone would believe that _Dork Vader_ (as she had taken to calling him in her mind) would go rogue. More likely, they would think she’d eaten something funny or lost her mind. And even if they did...well, as much as Scout ~~hated~~ disliked the man, it wasn't fair to punish him for crimes he had yet to commit. Not if she was going to stop them from happening, if she had any say in the matter.

Master Windu, meanwhile, was looking even more disturbed.

“I see,” he said, although he looked like he was more confused than anything. “And is this why Master Kenobi took you to see Master Yoda?”

“No,” Scout said, opting for honesty, “that was because I accidentally zapped him with blue electricity.”

Master Windu blinked rapidly for a moment and made a few noises, and Scout wondered if she would get in trouble for breaking him.

“You…Could you go over everything, from the top?” Master Windu asked, and seemed to compose himself. Scout gave him an encouraging smile. She really didn’t want to get in trouble for giving a Jedi Master an aneurism. 

“Of course. Although, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast,” she said, and Master Windu looked like he was about to cry. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scout: so then Master Kenobi brought me to see Yoda  
> Windu (internally): of course that damn lineage is involved in this


	6. In Which Scout Gets Bad News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a little later than my usual schedule, I've been out of town recently and didn't have much time to write  
> Also, I edited the previous chapter because I wasn't a big fan of how it turned out

“Breathe, Padawan,” Master Windu said, and Scout fought the urge stuck out her tongue at him. It had been two months since he had taken her on as an apprentice, and over that time, Scout had come to the conclusion that Mace Windu was about as scary as Master Yoda’s stew. Which, to be fair, was horrifying, but at least _Master Windu_ was supposed to move.

“Padawan,” her Master admonished. Scout closed her eyes again and _focused._

Reaching into the Force was coming easier to Scout. Her connection to it was still tenuous, but she had become adept at gradually calling the wisps of ether to her. She had also managed not to touch that dark _thing_ inside of her since the Incident, which Scout also counted as a win.

Before the Incident, the Force had felt like a loose collection of invisible strings, woven together in complex designs. Despite her understanding of technique and meditation, Scout had found it difficult to hold more than a few of the strings at the same time, and almost impossible to consistently pull the right ones. Now, however, the Force was more like being submerged in a lake—fully aware of the surrounding water and the currents running through it. Scout still couldn’t do nearly as much with the Force as others could, but she was getting better at connecting to it.

Now, her main problem was that she often forgot to breathe.

“Concentrate,” Master Windu said, “you’re drifting.”

Scout took a deep breath and let her thoughts go. She allowed herself to feel the currents of the Force as it moved around her, bringing with it flashes of images and voices. Scout allowed them to pass on. They weren’t her goal, today. Instead, she forged deeper into the lake, where the currents ran deeper and stronger. Scout passed this place too. Finally, she reached that place where all was still, cradled in the currents. It was darker here, but that was fine. It was the Force, pure and whole, neither light nor dark but simply existing. 

Scout forced herself to take another breath before she turned to look at the dark place below her.

It was chaos. While the currents above had been gentle and slow, the currents below roiled and tumbled against each other. Somehow, Scout got the feeling that if she got too close, she would be pulled under and battered by the currents as she sank forever, never to resurface. 

Scout took another breath and released her fear into the Force around her. She watched it sink into the darkness. As it made contact, Scout saw a flash of a blue lightsaber and white armor. With a gasp, she retreated through the Force, up through the gentle currents of the light, before opening her eyes.

“What did you see?” Master Windu asked. Although his voice was abrupt, Scout could tell that he was concerned. She stretched upward and her back cracked. The vein in Master Windu’s forehead began to throb with barely suppressed annoyance, which was the desired effect. She grinned at him. 

“I’m fine, Master. I saw what we expected, nothing more than that.”

He sighed.

“I am sorry that you must carry the burden of that vision, Padawan. It would be a difficult thing for a Master, let alone a youngling.”

“I am _not_ a youngling,” Scout shot back, holding in a smirk. Master Windu looked like he was dangerously close to rolling his eyes (but he didn’t, he hadn’t yet, even though Scout had made it her sworn mission). 

“Of course not,” he deadpanned instead. “Well, in any case, it’s good to have confirmation of the cause of your darkness. Now that we know the root, we can start to focus on redirecting the branches.”

Scout nodded. _If you only knew…_

“With that in mind, I believe it’s time for our first mission together.”

Scout blinked at him.

“What?” She hadn’t thought he’d bring her on missions so soon. A small lump of fear twisted something inside her, but Scout released it to the Force before her Master could sense it. She couldn’t explain _why_ she was afraid, because the trend for first missions with her previous masters…well, her first master had died before it, and her second before it was complete. 

Master Windu’s mouth turned down, as if whatever he had to say next was particularly distasteful.

“We will be working with another Master-Padawan team as well. I believe you’re familiar with Master Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker?”

Scout soundly and thoroughly cursed her luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My description of the Force is a little different from canon, it was more of my perception of it  
> Also, poor Scout and Windu are not looking forward to their field trip with the resident troublemakers (because let's face it, Kenobi is just as bad as Anakin)


	7. In Which Scout Goes On A Field Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon? Who's she?

Scout was serene as she stood by Master Windu’s side.

_Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Hold. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Hold._

She knew Master Windu had noticed her trepidation when he’d told her about the mission, but she had quickly released her emotions to the Force. Scout didn’t want to worry him. Besides, she was _fine._

Scout could practically feel the irritation surrounding Master Windu as he released it into the Force. Master Kenobi and _Dork Vader_ were late. She didn’t think Master Windu would mind as much if it were someone else, but for some reason, he didn’t seem to like Skywalker. Scout got the feeling.

Finally, the hangar door slid open and Master Kenobi strode in, followed closely by—

_Blue lightsaber yellow eyes scorched corpses death._

Scout took another deep breath and held onto her serenity, focusing on Master Kenobi. She bowed along with Master Windu, and Master Kenobi and his Padawan reciprocated.

“Apologies for our tardiness,” Master Kenobi said dryly, “Anakin overslept.”

“No harm done,” Master Windu replied, and Scout could sense the amused annoyance in his tone, even if she doubted anyone else would. Skywalker mumbled something under his breath, but Scout did her best to ignore him. She noticed everyone else did the same.

The company of Jedi made their way up the ramp, and Scout tried to ignore Skywalker’s presence beside her. Instead, she listened to her Master’s conversation.

“You’ve been briefed on the mission?” Master Windu asked. 

“Indeed. I hear Tython is lovely this time of year.”

Scout could sense her Master’s amusement at Master Kenobi’s sarcasm. 

“Hey,” mumbled Skywalker. Scout closed her eyes for a brief moment to compose herself before glancing at him. He looked incredibly awkward, and bore no resemblance whatsoever to—

“Hello,” Scout said, and was proud that her voice came out steady and didn’t crack.

“I’m Anakin,” he said, gesturing to himself. “Master Kenobi’s Padawan.”

Before Scout had to reply to _that_ , their small group stopped in the cockpit of the ship. 

“Scout, why don’t you go get some meditation done,” Master Windu said, and Scout gratefully took her escape.

* * *

The Force was weeping. The Temple corridor in front of her was littered with the bodies of her friends and teachers. There was Whie, a charred slash across the front of his robes. There was Ahsoka, eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling. There were Masters Kim and Maruk, side-by-side. And beyond them, countless others.

This was wrong. She knew that, deep in her bones, but couldn’t focus, couldn’t figure out _why._ And there was someone else there too, someone weeping behind her. Scout turned.

A boy was kneeling over Master Kenobi’s corpse. He was blond and small and clutched Master Kenobi’s hand like a lifeline. _Save_ _him_ , the Force whispered, so she knelt beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and when he met her eyes she gasped, for they were full of pain and rage and betrayal.

And they burned gold.

_Save them all,_ the Force whispered again, and Scout surfaced with a start.

* * *

Scout was not ashamed to say that she had successfully avoided Skywalker for the length of the day-long journey to the Deep Core, and the subsequent day of navigating the treacherous space. There was _no way_ Scout wanted to deal with _Dork Vader_ on her first mission with Master Windu. This, luckily, seemed to be a sentiment shared by her Master.

The ship jolted as it came out of hyperspace, and Scout emerged from the small bunk she’d holed herself up in. The door to her right opened, and Scout cursed inwardly as Skywalker stepped out. She forced herself to breathe and nod cordially at him before walking the other way. 

“Hey, wait up!” Skywalker called from behind her. Scout rolled her eyes upward and prayed for strength. 

It didn’t take long for Skywalker to catch her with his longer strides, and Scout cursed her ten-year-old self’s short stature (not that she would ever be as tall as Skywalker, _seriously_ ). 

“You’re Master Windu’s Padawan, right?”

Scout was dazzled by his investigative skills.

“Yes,” she said shortly. 

_Save him_ , the Force echoed, and Scout forced back a scowl. 

“Do you know what this mission is about?” She forced herself to ask, and could tell that Skywalker was surprised she was talking to him.

“No, Master Kenobi wouldn’t tell me,” he said sulkily, and Scout almost let loose an incredulous laugh. How could this petulant teenager become—

“Master Windu has been vague as well,” she said instead of following that thought.

Skywalker snorted.

“Well, we don’t call him Master Grumpy for nothing,” he quipped, and Scout genuinely smiled for the first time in ages as she sensed who was just behind them.

“I didn’t realize I had a nickname,” Master Windu said from behind them, and Scout watched Skywalker’s soul leave his body.

_Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all,_ she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unrelated side note: I've just started reading the Witcher series, and magic is called the "Force" and apparently virgins can't use it, which is very funny to me when compared to the Star Wars universe


	8. In Which The Force Is A Bully

The ship landed without an incident. Master Windu had set them down atop a giant stone pillar, upon which a shallow pool surrounded by nine stone towers gave way to six mighty waterfalls plummeting down the sides of the rock.

“What _is_ this place?” Skywalker breathed as the ship’s ramp lowered. Scout frowned in confusion for a split second before the Force of the planet hit her like a durasteel wall.

It was exactly as the Force had felt when she’d been pulled back through time—both light and dark, and something altogether different. It was life and death, growth and decay and the delicate balance between the two. And it was strong _,_ stronger than any other place Scout had been.

Scout exchanged a glance with Master Windu. He, too, seemed to have noticed the strange affectation of the Force.

“This,” he said, “is the Temple of Balance. Welcome to Akar Kesh.”

* * *

Scout followed the other Jedi as they made their way off the ship.

“So what are we supposed to be doing here?” Skywalker asked. 

Master Kenobi took a small tracking device from the interior of his robe. He fiddled with it, and it started wailing shrilly.

“We’re here to find a Shadow who’s gone missing,” Master Windu supplied as Master Kenobi fiddled with the tracking device some more. Skywalker took it from him and smacked it against the hull of the ship, and its wailing leveled out to steady beeping.

“What was the Shadow looking for?” Skywalker asked, handing the device back to his Master. Master Kenobi gave him a smug smile. 

“That, my young Padawan, is none of your concern. Our mission is simply to recover the Shadow and provide aid if necessary. In fact, I believe you’re already acquainted with him,” he said. Skywalker frowned, then his eyes narrowed.

“No…not _him,”_ he groaned. 

Scout exchanged another glance with Master Windu.

“Do you have a problem with Master Vos, Padawan Skywalker?” Master Windu asked, the humor in his tone going completely over Dork Vader’s head. Scout was beginning to feel a little left out.

“Master Vos?” She asked.

“Quinlan Vos is the Jedi Shadow we’re here to find,” Master Kenobi said. 

Oh. That made sense.

As the Masters and Padawan continued their conversation, Scout found herself drifting away from them. There was… _something…_ that was drawing her towards the pool, something familiar. If she concentrated, she could almost make it out. It resonated with something in her, drowning out all other noise—

Master Windu put his hand on her shoulder, and the resonance stopped. Scout blinked, and looked up at him. He was frowning.

“According to this tracker, he should be a few klicks due west,” Skywalker was saying, peering at it over Master Kenobi’s shoulder.

“Let’s find him quickly,” Master Kenobi said, moving back toward the ship, “I’d rather avoid the Flesh Raiders, if there are any left.”

“Flesh Raiders?” Skywalker asked, his interest piqued. The vein at Master Windu’s temple started to throb. Scout got the sentiment. If she thought she could get away with it, she’d have pushed Dork Vader off the pillar the moment they’d landed. He’d probably survive, too, the jerk.

Scout really needed to stop calling him Dork Vader in her head. Sooner or later, she was bound to say it out loud, and that might lead to some awkward questions.

“My Padawan and I will investigate here, while you two go after Vos,” Master Windu said. Scout started. Master Kenobi, too, looked confused for a moment, but seemed to shrug it off. Skywalker, unsurprisingly, did not.

“Investigate what?”

Master Windu leveled him an unimpressed look that Scout had seen cow fully-fledged Jedi Knights.

“The Force is strange here, haven’t you sensed it? There’s a reason that a Shadow was sent here, and there’s a reason that Shadow has vanished.”

Skywalker looked unconvinced, but followed his Master as he headed onto the ship. As soon as the ramp closed, Scout barely held in her relieved sigh. There went one problem she was determined to put off until later.

“So, what are we looking for?” Scout asked as the ship flew westward, pushing her relief aside. They were on a mission, and this time her Master was _not_ going to die.

“The Force was calling you earlier, wasn’t it?” Master Windu asked, although it didn’t sound much like a question. Scout nodded anyway. Her Master frowned, before apparently coming to a decision.

“Listen to the Force, Padawan,” he said. “What does it tell you?”

Scout closed her eyes and _focused._ She felt the resonance return, swifter this time. It was odd—she still wasn’t used to the way she could connect to the Force now. Her ears rang as she submerged fully into the Force. She could feel herself moving toward the pool, slowly as if she was wading through water. The Force seemed to sing, _here here here_ as Scout knelt by the water. As if in a dream, she reached her hand toward its surface. 

The moment she made contact, Scout knew it was a mistake. _Too much,_ she thought, but it was too late. The Force took her, as if grabbing her by the hand, and pulled her under. The last thing Scout heard before she vanished beneath the surface was Master Windu’s shout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just watched Moulin Rouge, was anyone going to tell me that Obi-Wan can sing or was I supposed to find out by nearly having a seizure when he started to sing "The Hills Are Alive (With The Sound Of Music)"  
> I mean seriously


	9. Interlude: In Which A Sith Lord Attempts to Meddle And A Time-Traveler Has A Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a really short blurb because ol' Palpy hasn't made an appearance yet

Sheev Palpatine was becoming impatient. This, for a man who took immense pride in his nearly-endless patience, was an oddity in and of itself. Despite knowing that he would not act rashly, Sheev was growing frustrated with waiting.

It had been nearly two months since Sheev had felt an alarming disturbance in the Force, centered around the Jedi Temple. It had been like nothing he had felt before—a sharp _snap_ , almost as if the Force had rebounded in on itself like an elastic band. Sheev had immediately begun planning (planning was what he did best) for possible outcomes—but nothing had happened. For two months, the Jedi had kept radio-silence on whatever might have caused the strange movement of the Force. Furthermore, his network had yet to discover any substantial changes in the Order. 

It was _infuriating._

However, Sheev Palpatine was not the most powerful man in the galaxy for nothing. He would figure it out.

He always did.

* * *

* * *

Hazy slipped through the crowds of Vorzyd V, grinning. This sector was home to the nicest casinos on the planet, and the people surrounding her certainly reflected that. The partygoers were decked out in bizarre finery and expensive jewelry, some of which Hazy pocketed as she brushed by. No one noticed. They never did. A particularly diamond-encrusted bracelet came off in her hand, and her grin grew. Tonight was a good one, and if it kept going the way it was, Hazy should be able to pay off the rest of her debts with her scores.

Not that they were _her_ debts, Hazy thought with a small frown. Her mother had certainly racked up a large sum in gambling debt before she’d died, and now it was Hazy’s problem to pay them off.

Sometimes, she wished the Jedi had taken her like her mother claimed they almost had.

Hazy brushed off that line of thought and continued moving. She had work to do.

* * *

Maskelis scowled and adjusted her grip on her ‘saber as her Master paced before her, his mechanical legs whirring. The crackling hiss of the bleeding kyber was her only warning before the zabrak ignited his saber staff and launched himself at her. 

Quickly, Maskelis spun and ducked, bringing her own red lightsaber up behind her. Her Master blocked, then moved to slam the other side of his saber staff into her. Maskelis grabbed the plasma blade with her hand, glad that they were on the training setting.

Pain sparked, sharp and bitter, and Maskelis reveled in it. Her focus sharpened, the Dark Side of the Force screaming through her veins. Kicking her Master back, Maskelis brought her saber around his guard and finally— _finally_ —landed a glancing blow across his bicep.

Her Master disengaged his saber staff, and Maskelis followed, letting the hilt of her saber fall to her side.

“Good,” her Master growled, and Maskelis straightened at the praise. She knew she was weak, not favored by the Force like others were, but what she lacked in strength she made up for in strategy and trickery. 

“Again,” he said, and Maskelis relished the adrenaline in her system as she rushed forwards once more.

* * *

The Jedi held herself perfectly still as she watched the Sith across the room. The Sith, on the other hand, was pacing frantically. She seemed to be paying hardly any attention to the Jedi. 

The Jedi waited. She wasn’t sure what she was waiting for, only that the Force nearly screamed in protest if she even thought about moving.

Finally, the Sith stopped pacing and turned to face the Jedi. She looked worn, tired, and a little crazed—the Jedi could see the signs that addiction to the Dark left behind. Then again, the Jedi wasn’t much better. She could feel her body wasting away as she spent more and more time submerged in the Light.

It didn’t matter. Some things were bigger than one person.

The Sith hissed through pointed teeth and ignited her red lightsaber. For a moment, the Jedi thought she could see blood dripping down it—but that was ridiculous.

The Jedi ignited her own blue lightsaber. The Force had gone silent now, as if it was waiting. 

When their blades collided, the Jedi knew that neither of them were going to survive.

* * *

Scout was cocooned. The Force swaddled her as if she was an infant, keeping her warm and secure. Beyond her small bubble, Scout could feel the Force churning, frenzied and wild. It threatened to overtake her, but each wave was repelled by the calm surrounding her.

Scout wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, until she became aware of the Presence.

_Hello?_ Scout called, her voice echoing.

_Hello, child._ The Presence’s voice was familiar and unplaceable—neither male nor female, kind or cruel, warm or cold. It simply _was._

_Who are you?_

_I Am,_ the Presence responded, and if she were anywhere else, Scout might have rolled her eyes.

_Where are we?_ Scout asked.

_We are at the Center. We are nowhere and now here._

Another cryptic answer, Scout felt like grumbling.

_Why?_

_Can you feel the universe weep? Help bring the balance, child._

Scout felt like her head was going to implode.

_Why me?_

_Who else?_ The Presence sounded almost amused.


	10. In Which Scout Finds A Missing Jedi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while! I've been pretty busy, and had no idea where I was going with this story. I've figured out a lot more of what I want to do, so that's good news. I'm still going to be pretty busy, so updates might be sporadic, but if you're reading this, then I'm really glad you're here :))

Scout groaned. She felt as if she had been dropped from the highest tower on Coruscant.

“Kid?” 

Scout groaned again and opened her eyes with effort. A mildly familiar Jedi with a gold tattoo across the bridge of his nose was hovering over her, his brow furrowed in concern. Scout pushed herself up, and the man took her arm, steadying her in a sitting position. 

“Where—who are you?” Scout asked, focusing on the more important question. Her throat grated as she spoke, and she coughed.

“Here,” the Jedi said, handing her a canteen. Scout took it gratefully. “My name is Quinlan Vos. Aren’t you a little young to be a Padawan?”

Scout scowled. She wasn’t _that_ short, even as her ten-year-old self. “No.”

Vos put his hands up in surrender. “Okay, sure. What’s your name, O Venerable One?”

Scout fought the urge smirk. That vision must have taken more out of her than she’d thought if she was finding Vos’s antics amusing. “I’m Scout.”

“Who’s your Master?” Vos asked, settling on the ground next to her now that it was obvious she wasn’t about to keel over.

“Master Windu,” she deadpanned. Vos blinked.

Scout took advantage of the older Jedi’s moment of surprise to take in her surroundings more fully. They were surrounded by giant trees, reaching high above them. Other than a certainty that she was no longer at the temple on the pillar, Scout had no idea where they were.

“I didn’t know Master Windu had taken another Padawan,” Vos said.

“It was a recent development,” Scout replied. “Where are we, anyway?”

Vos made a face. “I’m not sure. I think we’re still on Typhon, though.”

“In that case, we’ll probably be rescued soon,” Scout said. “Master Kenobi and Dork—I mean, Padawan Skywalker—were on their way to find you when I…Hey, how did you find me?” 

“You mean you don’t know how you got out here either?” Vos asked, frowning. Scout shook her head.

“Were you also pulling into a vision at that pool?”

Vos’s frown deepened. “I can’t remember. I was at Akar Kesh, and then I was here.”

“Akar Kesh?”

“The temple of balance,” Vos explained. “When we found a reliable way through the Deep Core to Tython, they sent me to find artifacts from the old Je’daii temples. Akar Kesh was the first I visited, and—obviously—the last.”

That was odd. Akar Kesh must not like visitors.

“How long have you been out here?” Scout asked, pulling herself to the present. There was no use in puzzling over ancient Jed’aii temples, not when Scout distinctly remembered Master Kenobi mentioning _Flesh Raiders._

Vos shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. I don’t really have a reliable way to keep track of time, and there’s no accounting for the time that I lost. At minimum…possibly a little under a year,” he said. Scout frowned. She had no intention of camping in the woods with an unfamiliar Jedi Shadow for that long, especially when she had _burning terror screaming silence_ to avert. Somehow. Oh, well. Hopefully Dork Vader was as good at hunting Jedi as he was before—

Scout stopped herself from going there.

“Kid?” Scout blinked and looked at Vos, who seemed to be torn between putting a hand on her shoulder or giving her space. He settled on the latter. “I’m sure we’ll be out of here soon. Like you said, Master Kenobi and his Padawan are looking for us, right? I know Obi-Wan, he’ll find us.”

“Right,” Scout said, giving him a wan smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was pretty short, but I think the next one should be longer  
> Also, alternative meeting:  
> Vos: I didn't know Master Windu had taken another Padawan  
> Scout: He doesn't talk about me much  
> Scout: *drinks water so fast it comes out her nose*  
> Vos: I can see why  
> (Sorry, I just watched Mulan, you must indulge me my references)


	11. In Which Scout Gets Some More Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long time between chapters, my life has been pretty hectic :(

There was something following them.

Scout could tell, even with the strange soupy feeling of the Force in the forest. Occasionally, a twig would snap or a leaf would rustle. Once, she thought she caught a glimpse of something dark and vaguely humanoid darting behind a tree. She’d first noticed it a few hours ago, just after Vos had declared that they were going to start walking in a direction he claimed _felt right_. Never mind that Scout was sure they had passed that funny-looking rock before and that they were walking in circles.

Overall, she had a very bad feeling about this.

Quinlan Vos, to his credit, seemed to be aware that something was off, although that didn’t stop him from whistling tunelessly. Scout made a point of stepping on his heels as often as she could to express her annoyance.

A twig snapped again, closer this time, and Scout tensed further, her hand creeping toward her lightsaber. Vos’s hand came to rest casually on his saber as well, whistling not missing a beat.

_There._ To her right, the edge of a cloak disappeared around a tree. _Alright, Tallisibeth,_ Scout told herself, falling back into habits from her Padawan days, _on three._

_One_. Scout did her best to spread her awareness into the Force, focusing on the area around them. She could vaguely sense three presences flanking them, with two moving in swiftly from before them. Infuriatingly, the Force seemed to slip away from her grasp whenever she tried to get a more accurate reading. 

_Two._ The life forms were getting nearer. Vos seemed to sense it too, and Scout _accidentally_ kicked his ankle with a little more force than necessary to get his attention. He turned and glared at her over his shoulder.

_Three._ Scout raised her brows meaningfully at Vos, flicking her eyes to her left. Without waiting to see if he got the message, Scout ignited her saber, the purple crystal humming in contentment as she leapt forward with a battle cry. 

Two familiar humans greeted her with surprised shouts of their own. For a moment, they all stood there screaming at each other, before Scout disengaged her saber with a sigh of relief. Vos was cackling.

For a split second, Scout was struck by how similar this felt to another encounter—on Vjun. Vjun, when Whie had taken one look at Skywalker and (had he recognized his future killer?) said _I’m so glad you aren’t here to kill me._

“Hang on a minute, how did you get here?” Master Kenobi asked Scout, bringing her back to the present, as he returned his lightsaber hilt to his belt. Scout shrugged.

“You got me. By all accounts, it doesn’t make sense.”

Dork Vader, meanwhile, was scowling at Vos. “Can we get out of here?”

Vos gave and extravagant bow and wink. “Of course, valiant savior! Lead the way, O courageous hero!” Skywalker’s scowl deepened, and Scout felt her esteem of Vos rise.

Which reminded her…”Hey, where’d they go?”

The other three Jedi looked down at her. Scout eyed Vos. “The—whatever-it-was—that was following us,” she said, and Vos’s eyes widened. He must be feeling what Scout had felt—their stalkers were gone.

“Riiiiight,” Master Kenobi said, drawing out the word. “Well, best be off. Anakin landed us in a clearing that way.” He pointed, adding “If the word _landed_ is appropriate.”

Skywalker sulked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scout got a new lightsaber! Because I said so  
> Also, this chapter didn't really cooperate with me so I might edit it in the future but for now it stays


End file.
